The Minister of Information and Communications Technology Seyed Sattar Hashemi has reiterated the role of public and stakeholders participation as an effective factor in the success of communication policies.
“Continuous feedback, assessment
of the extent to which objectives are achieved, and consideration of social and
cultural factors are the requirements for improving policymaking and regulatory
processes,” he noted.
Hashemi made the remarks during a
visit to an exhibition at the Incubation Center of the Imam Sadiq University in
Tehan on Tuesday.
During the visit, he was acquainted
with the center’s achievements, described the potential of the products and
projects presented as significant, and emphasized the need to make use of these
capabilities in the areas falling within the ICT Ministry’s mandate.
Referring to the exhibition’s
particular focus on cyberspace, the ICT Minister described the achievements on
display as the result of efforts undertaken by the center.
He also referred to his personal
experience of using some of the products developed by the center and emphasized
the possibility of expanding engagement and establishing closer cooperation
between the ICT Ministry and Imam Sadiq University.
Continuous Feedback a
Prerequisite for Policy Effectiveness
Hashemi stressed the need to
evaluate policy outcomes within executive agencies, stating “Following the
formulation and communication of policies, corresponding implementation
programs are designed and carried out.”
“However, in some cases, the
anticipated objectives are not fully achieved during implementation. Therefore,
obtaining continuous feedback and assessing the extent to which objectives have
been achieved are essential for revising and reviewing policies.”
Taking note of the ideas and
projects presented at the exhibition in this regard, he added, “Applying participatory approaches to the
policymaking process can help identify issues more accurately, improve
decision-making, and increase policy effectiveness.”
Hashemi also emphasized identifying
existing capabilities, strengths, and shortcomings, describing continuous
performance evaluation as a basis for refining processes and improving the
outcomes of initiatives.
ICT Ministry’s Focus on Participatory
Regulation
Hashemi highlighted the ICT
Ministry’s approaches to regulation and said “Fifth-generation regulation is
one of the issues we are pursuing, and participatory regulation is also
considered one of the important components in this area.”
Referring to the regulatory
initiatives and ideas presented at the exhibition, he described these
capabilities as an opportunity to explore joint solutions and expand engagement
between the Ministry of Communications and the Growth Center of Imam Sadiq University.
Supply Chain and Socio-Cultural
Considerations
Saying that bottlenecks in the
supply chain shall be identified and its weaknesses be addressed, Hashemi
stated “In designing the supply chain ecosystem at the ICT Ministry, in
addition to technical and operational considerations, social and cultural
components must also be taken into account, because the success of programs
also depends on the extent to which the public accepts and supports them.”
He introduced performance
measurement and the assessment of the level of public acceptance of individuals
and organizations as noteworthy aspects of the projects presented.
“Public opinion research and the
implementation of rigorous surveys can help provide a better understanding of
cultural and social complexities and assess the extent to which objectives have
been achieved.”
He stressed obtaining feedback
throughout policy implementation and added “The more opportunities are created
for public and stakeholder participation in the decision-making process, the
greater the likelihood that policies will succeed.”
“Conversely, decision-making
without sufficient stakeholder participation can make the achievement of
intended objectives more difficult.”
At the conclusion of the visit, the
Minister described the use of the scientific, research, and technological
capabilities of the Incubation Center of Imam Sadiq University as an
opportunity to expand joint cooperation and improve policymaking, regulatory,
and performance evaluation processes in the field of ICT.